Friday, 4 February 2011

The BBC has apologised for remarks made on the television programme, Top Gear, that caused outrage in Mexico.

In a letter to Mexico's ambassador in London, the BBC said it was sorry if it had offended some people, but said jokes based on national stereotyping were part of British national humour.

Now, I wonder why the Beeb didn't use the personal description defence? You know, this one.

The comments made by David Baddiel were quite clearly his personal description of Mr McWhirter’s political allegiances.

The Alan Davies Show is a live, light hearted, entertainment programme and in this context we are satisfied that no broadcasting guidelines were broken.

So let's get this straight. A non-PC, middle class, right of centre TV presenter makes what is clearly a joke, about a Mexican car, on a programme well-known for its ribald sense of humour - and the BBC rush to apologise.

Whereas a right-on, lefty comedian makes a bald assertion, not intended as a joke, inaccurately defaming the late Norris McWhirter, and by association the libertarian Freedom Association, as a "posher version of the BNP" - and the BBC refuse to apologise or even admit that the claim was wholly incorrect.